the fog

Coming back into Sokcho from our little 600 kilometer road trip last Tuesday, we were surprised to see our entire town, and the sea beyond, covered with fine, puffy white clouds.
When you get through Miseyrong tunnel, just to the west of Sokcho, you are about a thousand feet above sea level and can usually see the entire sea plain and ocean in front of Sokcho. Usually it is a great view of the city lights and squid boats bobbing on the ocean, you can usually see quite a long way.
Today, as we broke through the tunnel, imagine our surprise when the only thing we could see was this huge puff of cloud over our city. Cars were stopping all along the road to take pictures of what was an incredible sight.
Pictures.
1. Normally looking this way you would see the lights of Sokcho and the ocean beyond, now the road just disappears into the fog
2. The big rock pile to the left is Ulzanbowi, the holy mountain for Sokcho
3. Another view of Ulzanbowi as the fog creeps up its flanks

walking with conor

My buddy Conor and I decided to take the back way to Yangyang the other day in the rain to check out some of the Korean countryside before the heat really sets in. Pretty normal walk, nothing too special, but we did get to appreciate the lushness of the countryside after the monsoon rains that we have had lately.
Pictures
1. A beautiful Lilly on the side of the road
2. The green of the Korean country side is really coming through. It will stay this emerald colour until late in the fall.
3. Some kind of Lilly draped over a wall. I saw even more of these pretty flowers on my little stroll today.
4. Some more flowers.
5. I first met this golden retriever about two months ago when she barked at me as I walked this same path with Paul. We went over and petted her and she really liked it, her bark was just a ploy to get some much needed attention it seems. This time when I saw her she had a new addition to her family, the cute little tyke just underneath her.

the girls class

So I have this class first thing three days a week and it is by far, the most entertaining class that I have. I have taught these four girls, Yujin, Shihyun, Minyoung, and Harim, for about six months, and they have been a constant source of amusement for me. Every day one of them brings me a treat or a sticker, and every day they clamor for a game or some sort of entertainment, this may be why it has taken us almost four months to make it through our vary basic grammer book.
These are great kids and much to my almost constant amazement, they really seem to be leaning something from me. Even with their constant playing and climbing on me they seem to be grasping the rudiments of the english langauge.
They are even cuter than the pictures when we leave the class to go on one of our "field trips" and they all somehow have to find a way to hold my hands. They also each give me a hug, and sometimes a kiss on the cheek, when the bell rings.
Pictures
1. The girls in typical form, bottom Yujin, back row from left, Harim, Shihyun, and Minyoung
2. Minyoung just had to show everyone up and take a picture of her own.

Up North

I really love heading up north from Sokcho. You go up this long and winding road that parallels the sea and swings through little fishing villages and beach towns that litter the coast, and then, before you know it, you are there, at the last point in South Korea, the farthest north one can get with out heading into the D.P.R.K, or as it is more commonly known, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
This was my second visit up to the border, around fifty miles north of that mythical line in the sand, the 38th parallel.
Just like the last time I was up here you could not see anything going on on the northern side of the border. From where we were it looked completly peacful, covered in trees with an incredibly long, clean beach reaching from the border checkpoint to some rocky islets that were obviously part of the D.P.R.K.
Pictures-
1. This is what remains of Route 7. It sits here, at a lonely bend behind the observation platform. From looking at it now you would think that it was just a little overgrown road, but this road has seen a ton of traffic in its day as it was the main axis heading north on the east coast.
2. The north will do almost anything for a few dollars. Do you remember the stink they put up about the 25 million bucks in that bank in Macau? Well any way here at the border one can buy foodstuffs directly from our fraternal socialist comrades. Yes they may not have enough food for their own people but they can export soju and pretty good beer to their capitalist enemies in the south.
3. Proof that one only needs to wait a few years before the walls come tumbling down.
4. And to the right of the sign, the passport and control center for travel to the north, I sincerely doubt that the north has the same type of facility on their side of the border.

Monsoon Sorak

At the end of June, just like clockwork, the monsoon rains move up the Chinese coast, past Hong Kong and Tawian, and eventually make their way to Korea. They bring with them soaking rains and cool temperatures, perfect for growing rice and flowers, and as you can see, turning what are normally trickles of water into roaring cataracts as the water roars off the pourous limestone that, try as it might, cant hold any more water.
These pictures are from a pretty rainy day in Sorak-san national park. The rivers that you can see are usually no more than a thin ribbon of water, you can walk across them with just a little leap adn kick of the foot.

Helens Birthday

Helen's Birthday Pictures
1. Our cuisine for the night, boiled pork with oysters, cabbage, pancake, kimchi, and assorted other goodies
2. Pre dinner drinks at Helen's house
3. Hels and her new friend
4. The birthday girl gets her cake on!
5. The gangs all here

Last week the whole gang got together to celebrate Helen's birthday in true expat fashion, that is with drinks, karaoke, and lots of food.
We all headed over to the lucky birthday girls house on a warm Saturday evening about five thirty to enjoy some beer and vodka watermelon libations that I had whipped up with my new, at least new to me, blender.
After a few hours of drinks, snacks and stories while watching a gorgeous red sunset, we headed off for the birthday dinner of bossum, boiled pork, at our favorite place just down the road, Arirang Bossum.
It was a great crowd that we had that night. There were people from A.P. and Helen's school, Dari, along with friends from around Sokcho, both old and new as we ate drank, and had a good time.
After dinner we headed out to the Western to continue the party. I left early, as I usually do, to get in some time writing and hanging out at my place, but I here that the rest of the crowd hung out at the Western and then the Karaoke bar till about five that morning and a good time was had by all.

Goodbye to two good friends

Yesterday was finally the end of the Korean ride for Helen and Kirsty as they finished their contracts and headed out to North Korea, China, Kyrgestan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Turkey.
Guys, I dont know if you will ever read this but I just wantd to say that you have been great friends and I am sad to see you go. I wish you all the luck in the world and I hope that your trip is as great as you hope, I will miss you.
Thanks for the memories!
Ara
Pictures
1. Kirsty giving a present to our bosses, Won-gi and Yeon-soo
2. Kirsty in fine form cracking open her last bottle of two dollar champion for some pre trip drinks
3. The girls, packs and gear ready to go